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Sunday, 24 February 2013

Your LinkedIn profileshould, in some ways, mirror your resume. This includes of course factual information, such as your job titles, dates of employment and educational credentials. Also, your overall skill set, experience level and areas of professional focus need to remain consistent so you don’t appear to be two completely different job candidates.

However, remember that unlike your resume, your LinkedIn profile is completely customisable. To make your profile most appealing to employers, first try to think of a catchy keyword-rich headline, such as “Ambitious Salesperson with Track Record of Success in the Construction Sector.” Not sure what to say? Gather inspiration by researching the LinkedIn profile headlines of some successful people who have the type of job you want.

Next, add a professional photograph to your profile to help recruiters match your name with your face when they meet you in person. Then, make sure that the rest of your profile acts as a more comprehensive version of your resume, including all of your experience, unique accomplishments, measurable results (e.g., “decreased average customer service call wait time by over 2 minutes”) and recommendations from former colleagues and managers.

Once you feel your profile is the best it can be, tap a few trusted friends or family members to review it with a critical eye. Specifically, ask them two questions:

Is it clear from my profile what kind of job opportunities would be a good fit?
Is it clear what makes me unique and valuable?
If your friends can’t answer these questions, or their answers are not what you’re hoping for, then go back to the drawing board.

One last point: remember that your LinkedIn profile is a living, breathing representation of you, so regularly revisit your profile to make sure it’s up-to-date with new achievements or skills. You can also keep your profile fresh and appealing to recruiters by frequently sharing interesting articles or noting some brief commentaries about topics that matter to you. These shares appear right at the top (or bottom) of your profile in the “Activity” section, so they will keep your profile looking active and compelling.